What secret news story was Leo writing that led to his murder in a 1950s Midwest city? Will reporter McDonald find the truth before he too is killed?
The Dead Lie Still has it all: murder, crime, corruption, sex, graft, good guys, bad guys, romance and madams. Set in a big midwestern city on the banks of the Mississippi this 1950s genre murder mystery with twists and turns and surprises, was originally written in 1957 and reworked over the next several decades prior to the author's death.
Protagonist Bart McDonald is a hard hitting, no-holds-barred news reporter for a large metropolitan paper. He is the author's alter-ego, a reporter with no stomach for government corruption or "made-up" news and a passionate respect for the responsibility and power of the press. The truths in the manuscript written decades ago are still relevant and compelling today, as reflected in this example passage:
"I could write the story just as it stood, with the nasty implications sticking up between the lines, and let the mayor try to explain it to the people later. He'd never be able to. He'd stand convicted without a chance to defend himself. That's the frightful power of the press, the power to condemn with half a story, the power to convict with a word, the power to destroy with innuendo, with words left unsaid, with the turn of a phrase. That's the appalling weapon sometimes used by the journalistic harlots.".
Bart, like other 1950 murder mystery protagonists, is big, tough, moral, loyal, and incorruptible. And like others of his era, he has a soft side, a romantic sensitivity, that makes him likable and believable. Readers will join him as he relentlessly tries to unravel the mystery of what seemed like senseless murders of his fellow reporter and best friend Leo Morini, and ex-cop Jim Corbutt.
As Bart comforts the beautiful widow of his dead best friend, he vows to uncover the murderer and bring him to justice at all costs. The clues that lead to solving the murder puzzle lead Bart into the dark world of political corruption, organized crime and hired hit men. There are car chase scenes, fist fights, and romantic encounters. The host of characters and graphic descriptions transport the reader back to the era of the 50s and keep the reader engaged and entertained. It is a rollicking good read that begs for a sequel.
